An amazing transformation has taken place in our department since 2006 and it all began with the vision and commitment of University of Florida’s leadership to build a first class Urology program serving patients in our catchment area and beyond. Historically, Florida and the Southeast had long been underserved in the field of Urology; however, I am proud to report that Floridians now have access to technologically robust and compassionate urologic care at the University of Florida’s Department of Urology. To underscore the depth of our transformation, of the 1,500 Urology programs reviewed by U.S. News & World Report, UF Urology ranked #27 this year, indicating that we are well on our way to becoming one of the best Urology programs in the country.  Additionally, with recent additions to our scientific research team, we now rank 18th nationally in the National Institutes of Health’s research funding. We’ve truly come a long way in three short years!

Our rapid transformation was driven by an ambitious agenda and I am pleased to report we are meeting or exceeding our initial goals. The first objective was to enlist world class clinical and research faculty - complete. Our (currently 19) outstanding, fellowship-trained clinical specialists and NIH- funded research scientists have been recruited from many distinguished programs. With the intellectual infrastructure in place, covering a broad array of subspecialties, we have begun forming a multi-site enterprise that, undoubtedly, will transform urologic healthcare in Florida.

Currently, there are 3 major initiatives ongoing in our department that I would like to bring to your attention:

Quality/Patient Safety

Our top priority is to constantly reexamine and refine the processes that support the delivery of safe and efficacious patient care. Through pilot projects, simulations and other innovative interactions with the College of Medicine and Shands Healthcare, we are acquiring the capabilities to mine, track, and aggregate integrated (clinic/hospital) quality of care data on both the micro level (provider/patient) and the macro level (specialty). The ability to review integrated data on a timely basis is paramount in comprehending the variables that exist within the numerous processes and procedures and the various settings where care is being delivered.

Furthermore, to achieve the best outcomes possible, treatment for urologic diseases requires interdisciplinary care tailored to the individual patient; with this stated, the UF Department of Urology has leveraged internal resources and expertise to create a customer-centric environment that results in our patients receiving the highest standard of care where safety is always optimized. The commitment to making safety and quality of care our highest priority has had a cascading impact on our faculty, residents, students, healthcare professionals, and the patients we serve; nevertheless, we know that this will be a continuous process of improvement.

Healthcare Disparities

Another pressing area of action is the recent discovery of the health disparities that exist within the state of Florida. Specifically, Alachua County, according to the Florida Department of Health, is affected by a 10-fold higher mortality rate for African American patients with prostate cancer, as compared to their Caucasian counterparts, a statistic that we find simply unacceptable. To address this alarming situation head-on, we have forged partnerships with Florida A&M University and the UF Department of Family Medicine to increase prostate cancer awareness and initiate prostate cancer screenings for African Americans. We encourage all Caucasian men above the age of 50 and African Americans and Caucasian men with a family history of prostate cancer above the age of 40 to participate in these screenings which will be announced through various forms of media. A sustained effort that is successful in increasing participation in simple prostate cancer screenings should ultimately result in a decrease of the disproportionately high prostate cancer-related mortality rate among African American men in Alachua County.

University of Florida Prostate Disease Center

One of the most significant recent developments is that we have received formal approval for the establishment of the
University of Florida Prostate Disease Center (UFPDC), the only interdisciplinary prostate disease-focused center in Florida and surrounding states. This Center facilitates interdisciplinary, translational research and conducts clinical trials. Our researchers and clinicians have a track record making discoveries that yield new and innovative treatments for our patients. At present numerous clinical trials are conducted through the center, attracting many local, national and international patients to our institution and we are looking to expand upon this success.

The UF Department of Urology is on a clear trajectory toward becoming a premier program that delivers the highest quality of urologic healthcare to the people of Florida and beyond. My pride in the unified vision and accomplishments of our faculty and staff is immense. As we set our sights on expanding our activities throughout the state, we will continually strive to improve our operations and strengthen the successes of our three main missions: world-class research; top-quality, forward-looking programs in resident and community education; and the provision of the safest patient care.